Missouri bridge collapse tied to company with OSHA safety violations. Here’s what they were
A company working on a Kansas City area construction project where a worker was killed had previously been fined for safety violations, according to data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Connor R. Ernst, a 22-year-old from California, Missouri, died when a bridge that was under construction collapsed Oct. 26 near Kearney. Three other workers were able to get out with minor injuries.
The workers with Lehman Construction Company were pouring concrete when the collapse happened. The bridge is located at 148th Street and Shady Grove Road, in unincorporated Clay County.
Federal investigators, as well as the Clay County’s Sheriff’s Office, are investigating the accident.
OSHA cited the company in 2017 with three serious violations pertaining to general safety and having ring buoys and a skiff available for emergencies. The company abated the violations and paid a fine of $9,507, according to the OSHA data.
The company was also cited in 2019, with two serious violations pertaining to having a way for workers to get out of trench excavations and taking appropriate precautions to protect employees working in trenches where water is accumulating. The company abated the violations and paid a fine of $8,619, according to the OSHA data. One of the violations was reduced to an “other-than-serious” violation.
OSHA’s investigation into the fatal construction accident continues, said Scott Allen, an OSHA spokesperson. OSHA by law has six months to complete its investigation and, when warranted, issue citations and propose monetary penalties.
